FO: Year's End and Day's Beginnings

I've started the process of trying to wrangle my stash into a better form of organization.  I almost had a system in place about a year and a half ago, but I've been to two SSK's and several fiber festivals since then, and things are generally in a state of disarray.

I don't have any pictures of the process to share at the moment (imagine too much yarn spread across a laminate floor and you've pretty much got it).  I'll try to get some pics as I progress so I can share some more about the process.

The point of all of this is that as I was fluffing the stash, I ran across a gorgeous skein of handspun that a friend traded me for some project bags.   This is exactly why physically looking at your yarn now and again is so valuable.  I knew I had that skein, but when I actually saw it with my actual eyes (and more to the point, when I touched it with my actual hands) I fell instantly back in love.

I immediately abandoned the rest of the yarn and went to wind it up.  And maybe now I have a clearer understanding of why there's still yarn strewn all across my craft room, but that's neither here nor there.

I mean look at this yarn.  A jury of my peers would not convict.

This is a Merino/Bamboo 80/20 blend that I'd estimate at about a sport weight.  My friend reported 314 yards / 3.8 oz.  It is so soft and glorious, I was (and am!) entirely enchanted.

I knew I wanted a cowl, and I knew I wanted to use the entire skein.  I remembered a cowl pattern I used a couple of years ago to make a Christmas gift, so I went to look it up. 

This is Mira's Cowl by Baah Yarn - it's a series of knits and purls that makes a perfectly balanced and reversible cowl. 

As a project it was absolutely perfect. Quick, satisfying, simple enough to knit more or less on auto-pilot, but with yarn so delightful that it was a joy to slide through the hands.   A++ would go again.

The project name "year's end and day's beginnings" is a quote by Terri Guillemets.  I googled "quotes about fall" to find something evocative of the way I feel about this time of year. 

Project Notes

Pattern:  Mira's Cowl

Yarn: Fiber Artemis in the Grand Canyon colorway, spun by StardustSoul

Total Yardage: 314 yards

Needles: US 9 (5.5mm) 32" circulars

Started: September 1, 2019

Completed: September 7, 2019

Ravelry Project Page: here

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I have a feeling I've probably used that blog post title before - likely talking about spring and Passover.  Fall and Spring are my favorite seasons, and which one is the mostest favorite entirely depends on which one I'm in.

September has the same sense of anticipation of starting new things that the spring has.  Where in spring you have the fresh promise of a new growing season, summer around the corner, and the delight of being able to go outside without six layers on, in the fall there's football, the new school year, crisp weather as the heat starts to release it's grip, and a growing sense of settling in.   I love them both.

But today I love fall.  I particularly love September 1st when the new Fall Term starts in the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup.  Starting a new school year hasn't been a thing for me in years (in fact my youngest graduated high school last year, so it's really not a thing for me anymore) but I still enjoy the anticipation of The First Day of Term.

The House Cup is an online community and game that's hosted on Ravelry.  Students are sorted into houses (Gryffindor 4 Lyf), and compete by crafting for the House and Quidditch Cups.  It's a really good time, and has done wonders for my knitting and crocheting output.   There are three terms a year - Winter, Spring, and Fall - and Fall is by far my favorite.

Of course, along with all of that new-Term excitement comes new-Term cast ons!  I had a wicked case of startosis on September 1st and I've cast on four new projects in the last five days.

Two pairs of socks -  Hello Sunshine by Tracie Millar out of  Unwind Yarn Company Celebration Sock in the Goldenrod colorway for Morgan (left) and a pair of vanilla Yulemas socks out of Colour Redefined Smooth Sock in the String the Lights colorway (right).

I also cast on a cowl using some handspun that a dear friend traded me for some project bags a few years ago.  It's a delicious merino/bamboo blend and the colors are so gorgeous I keep stopping to admire it.  I'm using the Mira's Cowl pattern by Baah Yarn, and size 9 needles for a big, squishy cowl.

And then finally, I've cast on The Crown Wools by Casapinka.  I'm barely into it, so there's not much to see yet.  I'm using Miss Babs Yummy 2 Ply in the Giant Silk Moth set, and it is stunning.  I'm excited by this one!

Now, I already had four things on needle or hook when term started, so that brings my current WIP count up to 8.  (In my defense, three of those are long-term blanket projects.   On second thought, that might be a lousy defense.) 

In any case, I'm starting to feel a little twitchy, so I think I'll concentrate on getting the cowl back off the needles quickly.